


after all this time

by vulcanrise



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Episode Related, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, The Gang Solves Global Warming, edit: well the episode wasn't that gay so this is my hc now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 00:47:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21329473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vulcanrise/pseuds/vulcanrise
Summary: After the air conditioning breaks, Dennis must confront some truths with the gang.
Relationships: Mac McDonald/Dennis Reynolds
Comments: 10
Kudos: 64





	after all this time

**Author's Note:**

> There’s still a photo of Glenn that we haven’t seen explained. Dennis looked like a ghoul in episode 3 when he took all his makeup off, but there’s also that picture Rob posted on his story of Glenn looking sweaty and atrocious in a grey tank. I’m guessing this is from global warming, since they were filming that episode at the time.
> 
> Which means there is another episode where Dennis removes his makeup (or has it removed) during this season. If global warming is the gay fever dream we’re all hoping it will be, that look might end up being important to the story.

The tension has been building throughout the whole day, with the heat rising and Dennis categorically denying to accept what he sees happening right in front of him. The AC broke hours ago, leading to all the customers they’d attracted to leave just as quickly as they’d arrived. All that’s left now is the gang, yelling at each other in various states of undress.

“There’s no way you can keep ignoring this, dude!” says Mac, gesturing to the empty bar. “Everyone in Philly has been saying this heatwave is just the beginning of what’s going to be our reality from now on. There’s no denying it and there’s no escaping it. This is just what’s going to happen every year until we die.”

“Yeah, Dennis,” says Dee. “I don’t know how you’re still convincing yourself this is normal when you’ve sweated through every one of your shirts this week.”

“This is absolutely normal!” Dennis retorts from behind the bar. “I always run a little hot in the summer. We just need to turn up the AC a little, that’s all.”

“No, goddammit!” yells Mac. Everyone turns to look as he buries his face in his hands.

“Dennis, the AC broke hours ago. There’s no fixing it. We’ve tried absolutely everything.”

“I’m sure Charlie can take another crack at it, right Charlie? Must be something you hav–”

“Dennis. Listen to me. This is the way things are now.”

“They don’t have to be. We can still fix it–”

“No, we can’t! We’re past that now! All we can do now is realize it’s been this way for longer than we’d admitted and try to live with it.”

Dennis is quiet for a moment.

“And what if we can’t? What if we’ve grown so used to the AC, to the ways we convinced ourselves the heat wasn’t building, that it wasn’t a problem?”

“But we can’t ignore it anymore, Dennis. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the AC has been slowing down for a long time. It was going to break sooner or later.”

“The heat wasn’t as bad back then.”

“Actually, it’s been really hot for like the last the fifteen summers, Denn–”

“Shut up, Charlie!” Dennis slams a fist on the bar, sending a shock through the room.

Mac takes a few tentative steps closer, resting his fingers on the counter.

“It’s always been like this, Dennis. And there’s no way to fix it, as ugly as this is.”

“Ugly? Mac, you have no idea what ugly looks like.”

Dennis frantically turns the tap on and scrubs his face with face hands.

“This is what ugly looks like, Mac. See? No more makeup, no more pretending.”

He barely glances at Mac and splashes water onto his hair, letting it dissolve his careful combination of styling products.

“Look at me now, Mac! Is this what you want? A broken man without his armour, just a guy in his forties who’s losing his hair and frankly looks like a ghoul every morning.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Dennis sees Charlie and Frank exchange looks. Dee stares at him with a heavy mixture of glee and disgust written on her face.

“Well, yeah,” Mac says plainly.

_What?_

“I’ve seen you every morning for twenty years. I know what you look like, Dennis.”

“B-but with th-the face, and th–” he sputters.

“I’ve already seen everything. All the parts of yourself you think are ugly, I know them. I know you, Den.”

Dennis can’t do anything but watch helplessly as Mac walks slowly towards him and joins him behind the bar. As he places his hands on Dennis’ shoulders.

“How long have we known each other?” Mac suddenly asks.

“Uh, probably like twenty-seven, twenty-eight years.”

“We’ve already been through the real ugly parts. We’ve gone through your marriage. You stayed for all those years I couldn’t see what I really wanted. And when you left…”

Dennis’ heart breaks as he watched Mac’s eyes cloud over at the memory.

“But I came back.”

“You came back,” Mac repeats. “So you see? We’ve already been through the worst of it?”

His stomach drops. “Mac, was that—was that really the worst you’ve… the worst we…”

Mac’s gaze shifts to the ground, but his arms keep their firm grip on Dennis' shoulders.

“I can’t stand to spend another day without you. And I think you’ve known that for a very long time.”

Dennis tries to swallow around the knot in his throat. “What are you saying, Mac? Are you really—”

“Yeah, Den,” Mac says with a smile breaking across his face. “Ready when you are.”

The last thing Dennis sees before closing his eyes is Mac’s face full of love and warmth. Their lips meet and it’s the final collision of two lives that have been desperately intertwined for decades. It’s an end and a new beginning all in one, and Dennis is not ready to let go of this moment.

The sound of the door of the bar closing probably means the others have finally left. _Good_. This is a moment meant to be shared with just the two of them. Dennis smiles against Mac’s lips and dives in headfirst for the first time in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! This is really dumb but I figured I might as well post it before the episode tomorrow when we get all the gay answers we've been looking for. Hope it doesn't disappoint.


End file.
